Giving communities a greater say Recommendations 24. Run a high profile campaign to get people involved in Neighbourhood Plans 25. Promote the inclusion of the High Street in Neighbourhood Plans 26. Developers should make a financial contribution to ensure that the local community has a strong voice in the planning system 27. Support imaginative community use of empty properties through Community Right to Buy, Meanwhile Use and a new “Community Right to Try”
Introduction This review has started a huge conversation – in the media, in people’s homes and down the pub. People are passionate about high streets. What we need to do is turn that passion into action. We need to put the heart back into our high streets and inspire that connection between local people and their ‘home town’. Localism must truly mean local people having a voice and influence. But that requires structure and guidance. Town centres exist to serve their communities’ needs. So local people should have more say in what they want from them. We are on the cusp of a new time, with the ‘localism’ agenda all about putting more power into the hands of the people. But we risk this falling flat on its face if communities are not inspired and empowered. Quite often it’s only the noisy minority that contribute. I want to see everyone feeling like their voice can be heard – to sweep away the apathy and create truly powerful new local involvement. There are lots of ways that we can do this and we need to start thinking in new ways too. Communities need the tools, knowledge and opportunity to have a say – shifting from ‘consumers’ to ‘co creators’. I’ve started to think about what this could look like but it’s up to you and your high street to get creative.
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